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Struggling with making an osteoporosis treatment decision
Osteoporosis & Bone Health | Last Active: Jun 4 11:43pm | Replies (661)Comment receiving replies
I have been taken alendronate for a bit over a year and started a new year with not much success Now I am not under the boarder line of osteo but I am osteo I need to check into my numbers more now that I am a bit paranoid of all these new meds to building bones. I asked my family doctor about that needle to help build bones and she recommended I speak to a specialist which I did. She was asking me all these questions almost like she had no information in front of her about my pass. I felt a bit uncomfortable but right away suggested prolia. I was excited at first to be starting this new bone builder till I picked up my injection at my pharmacy and it was not refrigerated right away when I got home for about 5 hrs . I started to read up on it if it was not refrigerated what can happen then I came across this site and now I am totally freaked out about even taking it. I have it in the fridge and I will not be taking it till I sit down again with this specialist and I request my findings on my last scan where I stand. Maybe I am not bad enough to do this and try an alternative to what I was on or could still be on and more. I am 68 and pretty active and I cannot afford these side effects for life. Maybe reading more of this will clarify my thinking of what avenue to take. So far I am very torn on all these treatments I am thinking of risking not taking anything and dealing with what ever happens and hope I never break a bone then to take something and having fractures in my back over nothing. Scare out of my mind here
Replies to "I have been taken alendronate for a bit over a year and started a new year..."
I’m so sorry you are scared out of your mind. I kinda felt the same way when my spine dropped recently to -3.1. I’m still trying to decide on the right pharmaceutical treatment for me, even though I am very reticent to take any of these drugs. I was fine managing without pharmaceuticals at scores of -2.5 and -2.7 that were stable for 12 years, but now that my spine dropped rapidly to -3.1, I feel I have little choice as I’m so worried it might decline further which will be very bad as I downhill and cross country ski in the mountains. I completely understand where you are coming from. From your comment that you are now just osteoporosis, I’m assuming your scores are hovering around -2.5. Does your doctor feel you need pharmaceuticals at that T-Score?
it is amazing to me how little the drs know about these drugs. my dr said i don't know what to do because i never had anyone have a reaction like yours so i said well, you know now. the prolia shot was poison. now the dr wants to to take evenity because i have had 2 compression fratures (FROM THE PROLIA SHOT) i have such anxiety about these drrugs and do they really not sure what to do
please read my post on prolia and be very careful about taking it
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I had osteoporosis for 16 years and did cancer meds toward the end that greatly worsened things. I fractured as a result (lumbar spine) with a very unwise movement.
Talk to an endocrinologist and you can also consult with Keith McCormick, a chiropractor (you can google him) or buy his book "Great Bones" (on Amazon). He might tell you that your scores aren't terrible and give you some tips on how to maintain what you have (his other book is "The Whole Body Approach to Osteoporosis."
My doctor as well as McCormick tell me (and write) that it is better to do Forteo, Tymlos or Evenity before Prolia or a bisphosphonate. The problem is that insurance wants it the other way around!
Once you go on Prolia you are kind of stuck because going off of it can mean quick loss of bone density and increase in fractures. You then have to go on Reclast or Fosamax to avoid that situation and the timing of that transition is very very tricky. My docs won't use Prolia at all for that reason.
If you are borderline or just over the borderline for osteoporosis, you may be able to avoid Prolia but ask your doctor and get other opinions if you need to.